Boldly boring: public banks and public water in the Nordic region

Abstract

ABSTRACT Public banks in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark have played a critical role in financing the costs of public water services in the Nordic region for over a century. A pooled banking model, collectively owned and operated by municipal and/or national governments, has allowed public water operators to obtain financing at the lowest possible rates, improving services and protecting their public status. It is not without its challenges, including threats of privatization and commercialization of public water operators and public banks, but this Nordic model has much to offer global debates about public financing of public water services.